The Canadian eastern youth camp (Camp Connections) was held recently. Camp director Lynn Lawrence (who also pastors the Montreal, English congregation) commented that the campers and staff experienced a wonderful atmosphere of peace and unity. Everyone went home tired, yet inspired.
At the recent GCI Regional Conference in Orlando, Florida, GCI president Joseph Tkach, CAD director Dan Rogers and GCS president Russell Duke presented a service plaque and watches to Ted and Donna Johnston to mark Ted’s 25 years of full-time employment in the ministry of GCI.
In 1969, while attending Ambassador College in Pasadena, California, Ted began working in the college’s Department of Architecture and Engineering. To advance that work, Ted transferred in 1971 to California State Polytechnic University in Pomona while continuing to work for Ambassador College.
When, in 1972, the Architecture and Engineering Department was closed due to budget cuts, Ted continued at Cal Poly and went to work for EDAW, a firm of landscape architects that had served Ambassador College since 1948.
Following graduation from Cal Poly in 1974, Ted married Donna Graves. They lived for a time in Southern California where they attended GCI’s Santa Ana congregation. During that time, Ted worked with a team that pioneered Youth Opportunities United (Y.O.U.), the denomination’s youth program at the time.
In 1975, Ted’s job with EDAW took the couple to Colorado where they attended GCI’s Fort Collins congregation for 12 years. Ted served the church in preaching and counseling, and Ted and Donna served together in music and youth ministry. During the years in Fort Collins, Ted and Donna’s two children were born.
In 1987, Ted was ordained an elder and rehired by GCI—this time working full-time in pastoral ministry. The family was moved to Kansas where Ted served as associate pastor in the Kansas City South and Topeka, Kansas congregations. In 1990, they were transferred back to Colorado where Ted served as senior pastor in the Grand Junction and Craig churches, as GCI’s district youth ministry coordinator in the Rocky Mountain district, and as the coordinator of GCI’s Vail, Colorado festival site. During his years in Grand Junction, Ted completed a master’s degree in liberal studies (psychology) from Regis University in Denver.
In 1997, the family moved to Ohio where Ted served until 2000 as senior pastor of the Akron and Canton congregations. He then became the district superintendent for the northeast United States and co-director of GCI’s national youth ministry. In 2005, the scope of youth ministry broadened and was renamed Generations Ministries with Ted serving as its director until 2010.
In 2007, Ted completed a master’s degree in Christian studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Then in 2009, he began his current assignment within GCI, serving on the Church Administration and Development (CAD) team as a ministry developer and coordinator of CAD media and communications. Ted continues to be part of the Generations Ministries leadership team and teaches part-time at Grace Communion Seminary. Ted and Donna now live in Foley, Alabama.
Congratulations to Ted and Donna!
Here is an update to the previous prayer request.
We are pleased to report that Surgay is doing better. His liver enzymes are lower, his white blood count rising and his kidneys are better. The doctors took him off the ventilator and took out the feeding tube. He is out of ICU and in a regular hospital room.
He continues to have trouble swallowing. Also, he still has swelling in his hands and feet (conditions the doctors say will resolve themselves). The doctors are not concerned about his pneumonia since they have been extracting fluid from his lungs. He seems to be responsive to visitors, though he can’t talk yet.
We are praising God for sparing Surgay’s life and for what he is now doing to heal him. Please continue to pray for Surgay and for his family
William Mankhomwa, a Research and Test Development Officer for the Malawi Africa National Examinations Board (MANEB), serves as co-pastor of the GCI Blantyre, Malawi congregation with Fadrick Nihaka. He also helps serve the four satellite churches within 200 kilometers of Blantyre, Malawi.
William will have been married to his wife Chrissy for 30 years this September. They have two adult children, T. Isaiah and Marah Anne Chrissy.
William grew up in a typical African village, living in huts surrounded by bushes and cornfields. His parents separated when he was five years old and his grandmother, who had a great influence on his faith, raised him. She was a devout Presbyterian who traveled to many congregations bringing instruction to women.
After about two years as a Seventh-day Adventist, William became interested in GCI in 1981 and contacted the office in Kenya. In 1983, he went to England to study. “I was fully integrated into the church under David and Nancy Silcox, participating in all church activities… and visiting with members’ families. I was baptized on April 8, 1984 by Mr. Silcox.”
In 1996, William was ordained an elder and started assisting pastor Gardner Kunje in Malawi. The church needed more personnel in ministry and William was asked to help where needed. He loves preaching and leading worship, and “seeing people accept Jesus Christ and committing their lives to him.” It’s not past William to spend hours answering questions and talking with someone who wants to know about Jesus.
Because of his love for his country and his Lord, William has used his education to help others. “I have translated some of the GCI literature into the local language and distributed it to the church.” William loves being a pastor and loves preparing messages. His pastoral passion is “to help people know who they really are in Christ… watching the Holy Spirit bring new revelation to a person and watch that person grow in Christ.”
William lists two events as highlights in his ministry. One was when a fellow pastor who was struggling with understanding the changes came back from a conference in Zimbabwe a new man. “He said it was as if a mask had been pulled off his face.” William still gets a thrill recalling that transformation. His second highlight was a church service in January 2012 when visitor Rick Shallenberger preached in Malawi. “The service was recorded by our national television, then aired on subsequent weeks. It was inspiring to receive complimentary remarks from relatives and friends across the country who watched the service and said how much they enjoyed it.”
When asked what he likes most about GCI, William said, “The brotherly love we have; it feels real and unfeigned. We are truly connected and truly one.” He loves GCI’s sound doctrine and focus on Christian living. “I’m so glad we have learnt the humility and simplicity that is in Christ.” William loves to learn and loves to spend time with God. “Every moment of my life I seem to feel there is someone beside me. He said he would never leave us nor forsake us.”
At the recent Regional Conference in Orlando, Florida, Jonathan Rakestraw, who pastors GCI’s congregation in Tallassee, Florida, was awarded the Advanced Diploma of Christian Ministry from Grace Communion Seminary. The presentation was made by GCI president Dr. Joseph Tkach and GCS president Dr. Russell Duke.
People make hospital visits for all sorts of reasons, including duty, friendship, repayment of favors. But a call that truly ministers the life and love of Jesus to the patient attends to the patient’s soul. For some helpful tips concerning hospital visitation, see the recent Leadership Journal article titled, “7 Essentials of a Healthy Hospital Visit.” Click here to read it.
Together with Hugh Steiginga and Sarah Faulkner, Bonny McQueary serves on the pastoral team at Abundant Grace Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in Fort Myers, Florida. Bonny grew up in Ohio. Her parents were hard working and dedicated to children. They kept 13 foster children during Bonny’s childhood and inspired Bonny to take two foster children of her own. She then adopted one of them, her son Jon, who now lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her daughter and son-in-law, Mindy and Mike Lockard, serve in a GCI congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bonny joined GCI in 1968 after listening to radio programs with Garner Ted Armstrong talking about evolution. The program was on at 11 PM and Bonny would often break out laughing and wake up her husband. “I’m a sucker for a good sense of humor.” Not only does she have a great sense of humor, Bonny also considers herself both a positive person and an extrovert. Those who know her would agree that she has a zeal for life and is always looking forward in hope.
Following her divorce, Bonny moved to Florida for a fresh start. Over the years, she became a leader in the Fort Myers church. She has the distinction of being the second woman to be ordained within GCI as an elder. “This means as #2 I have to try harder!” Bonny says. “The changes in the church gave me the opportunity.”
Bonny, who loves serving as a pastor, said, “I really enjoy our church mission of feeding the homeless. We feed them twice a week, on Sundays after services and on Wednesday for lunch.” She loves the challenge of helping produce good, quality and healthy meals without the use of an on-site kitchen. One of the highlights of the mission is how many people Bonny gets to meet and serve.
One person she met led to an experience that ranks as one of her most memorable as a pastor. Receiving a call from a stranded young man, Bonny and her daughter Mindy, who was visiting at the time, went to see this young man to find out how they could help. “The young man had AIDS and was dying. He came to Fort Myers hoping to reconcile with his family in the area.” Unfortunately, the man’s family rejected him – wouldn’t even see him. The Fort Myers congregation arranged for the young man’s bus trip home. When all was arranged, Bonny gave him a hug. “The fact that I hugged him overwhelmed him and brought tears to his eyes… he wasn’t used to being treated with love.”
Two of Bonny’s passion are intercessory prayer and taking care of the elderly. She loves her quiet time with God where she visualizes being in a safe place with Christ. It is in this safe place that she spends time praying for others and spending some quiet time with God.
When asked if one person influenced her above others in a positive way, Bonny said, “Mother Teresa. I would love to have a tenth of her unselfishness, dedication and patience.” From her life of service, it seems that Bonny’s wish has come true.
This prayer request is from district pastor Doug Johannsen concerning Surgay Kalahama, GCI pastor in Minot, North Dakota.
Surgay’s wife Jan called to report that Surgay recently contracted strep throat. A few days ago it grew worse and his kidneys and liver failed. He is now in intensive care at Minot’s Trinity Hospital. His blood pressure is quite low, his liver enzymes high and he is on dialysis. The doctors feel he is doing okay, but can’t seem to clear the infection.
Cards may be sent to:
Jan Kalamaha 26101 55th Street SE Max, ND 58759-9542We have had several prayer requests concerning Jason Richards (click here for the last one). We are pleased to report that he is doing fairly well as he continues to wait for a heart transplant. For an inspiring newspaper article about Jason, click here.
During the closing worship service at the recent Orlando, Florida GCI Regional Conference, members spent time together in a “concert of prayer.” As part of that concert, intercessory prayer was offered on behalf of the Sikh community in Oak Creek, Wisconsin where several were murdered recently during one of their worship services.
This prayer was in response to a request that had come from the Sikh-American Community. They asked for prayer for the injured, for the grieving families, and for time to reflect in memory of the victims. The request also noted that at the end of every Sikh worship service, the congregation makes a request of the Divine in a prayer called ardas, which says in part, “May everyone in the world be blessed and may good come to all.” The goal of the prayer request was that churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, gurdwaras and community centers across America might together send a message of blessing for all and that together we stand against hate and intolerance and as part of a common humanity.
For an article about this prayer request, click here.
